Written and edited by Norm Scott:
EDUCATE! ORGANIZE!! MOBILIZE!!!
Three pillars of The Resistance – providing information on current ed issues, organizing activities around fighting for public education in NYC and beyond and exposing the motives behind the education deformers. We link up with bands of resisters. Nothing will change unless WE ALL GET INVOLVED IN THE STRUGGLE!

Friday, January 24, 2014

The State of Politics: UFT Sides With "Insurgents" In NYSUT Power Struggle

If Iannuzzi has to go how about Randi Weingarten? Duhhhh! We told you from Day 1 Pallotta was Mulgrew's tool. I'm putting in a tab up top of the blog where I will keep links from Ed Notes and some other sources as this gets played out.

For those of you who have not following the ed notes coverage
of this NYSUT internal struggle, as we predicted from Day 1 Mulgrew has
been behind it.

A pointed out Unity controls 40% of the delegates who will vote -- all 800 elected last April despite the fact thousands of people voted for MORE, yet those people get disenfranchised at NYSUT and the AFT.

Pallotta et al also has the support of NYSUT’s former executive vice president, Alan Lubin, who wrote on the REVIVE website:

“Four incumbents say ‘Now is not the time to change
leadership.’ That’s an argument used in Union elections since the
beginning of time. (Including by me, in the past!). We are past that
argument now. The REVIVE NYSUT leaders argue for new approaches, new
coalitions, and improved outreach and much more involvement and input
from locals across the state to bring NYSUT to a higher level.”

As I wrote recently the "retired" Alan Lubin, who we are told despises Iannuzzi, is up to his ears in this. Yeah, Alan, you guys have been telling us since the beginning of time "now is not the time." If Iannuzzi has to go how about Randi Weingarten?

A point to watch here is:

Also this weekend, a group of some 50 NYSUT local leaders from around
the state – basically, everywhere EXCEPT New York City – will be
meeting separately at an Albany hotel to discuss their support of
Iannuzzi, but also their vision for the future of the union and what it
should look like going forward. This group of Iannuzzi backers also has a
wesbite: StrongertogetherNYSUT.com.

We know people who will be at this meeting and will report as soon as info comes in.

UFT Sides With Insurgents In NYSUT Power Struggle (Updated)

A
significant rift has developed between UFT President Mike Mulgrew and
NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi, with the downstate teachers union honcho
backing a slate of challengers against his statewide counterpart’s
leadership team.Mulgrew announced his support
yesterday on the website of “REVIVE NYSUT” – the insurgent arm of the
statewide teachers’ union that is challenging Iannuzzi and his allies
in a fight for the NYSUT leadership. The opposition slate includes Andy
Pallotta, NYSUT’s current executive vice president and a Mulgrew ally.

“We support the REVIVE NYSUT Unity slate,” Mulgrew wrote.
“We have heard the voices from locals across the state and agree with
their call for change.”

UPDATE: Pallotta is the REVIVE member who is drawing the most
attention, due, I believe, to his Bronx roots and his alliance with
Mulgrew. But he is seeking re-election to his current post. The
presidential candidate challenging Iannuzzi is Karen McGee, a NYSUT
Board member and president of the Harrison Association of Teachers in
Westchester County.

Pallotta et al also has the support of NYSUT’s former executive vice president, Alan Lubin, who wrote on the REVIVE website:

“Four incumbents say ‘Now is not the time to change
leadership.’ That’s an argument used in Union elections since the
beginning of time. (Including by me, in the past!). We are past that
argument now. The REVIVE NYSUT leaders argue for new approaches, new
coalitions, and improved outreach and much more involvement and input
from locals across the state to bring NYSUT to a higher level.”

NYSUT’s internal power struggle has been the talk ofeducation blogs for several weeks now,
but so far has failed to break through into the mainstream media. The
fight recently surfaced when state Education Commissioner John King suggested during a CapTon interview
that Iannuzzi’s motive for advancing a “no confidence” vote against the
commissioner might be more about problems within his own house and less
about unhappiness with the Board of Regents’ implementation of the
controversial Common Core curriculum.Common Core – or, more specifically, its impact on the controversial
teacher performance evaluation process (which, by the way, both NYSUT
and the UFT signed off on) – is indeed a source of consternation among
NYSUT members, especially on Long Island, where opponents have been
particularly vocal. This is one of the prime examples offered by the
anti-Iannuzzi faction about why the current leadership team needs to go.But there’s also chatter that what this is really all about is an
effort by the UFT to wrest control of its parent union once and for all.
This theory is primarily being pushed by the pro-Iannuzzi faction,
which thinks Mulgrew, who has a close relationship with Gov. Andrew
Cuomo, is particularly miffed that Iannuzzi is apparently unwilling to
even entertain the possibility of endorsing the governor for re-election
this fall.(Recall that NYSUT remained neutral in the 2010 governor’s race, as
did several other unions. Cuomo hasn’t done much since he took office to
improve his relationship with much of the labor community. If anything,
that relationship has deteriorated, thanks to the passage of Tier 6 and
the 2 percent property tax cap, as well as several contentious contract
negotiations with public employee unions).This is the final year of Iannuzzi’s three-year term. Technically
speaking, the NYSUT elections take place in April, and since the UFT
controls some 40 percent of the vote, the outcome is going to be close.But the union is holding a board meeting tonight and tomorrow in
Albany at which the topic of trying to avoid the coming bloodbath will
no doubt be broached. I did reach Iannuzzi this afternoon, and asked if
he would consider stepping aside to avoid a fight – epsecially given the
fact that this is an important election year in which the union I’m
sure wants to play a big role.

“I will be in this until the end,” Iannuzzi replied.
“I’ve been part of NYSUT for 40-plus years, and I know what NYSUT is.
It’s an organization that has a really delicate balance between New York
City and the rest of the state. It won’t be NYSUT if this crowd takes
over.”

Neither Pallotta nor Mulgrew has yet returned a call seeking comment.Also this weekend, a group of some 50 NYSUT local leaders from around
the state – basically, everywhere EXCEPT New York City – will be
meeting separately at an Albany hotel to discuss their support of
Iannuzzi, but also their vision for the future of the union and what it
should look like going forward. This group of Iannuzzi backers also has a
wesbite: StrongertogetherNYSUT.com.

The comments section is one-sided anti Iannuzzi so far. But so funny when we know that the "democratic" UFT is behind it. And as I wrote recently the "retired" Alan Lubin, who we are told despises Iannuzzi, is up to his ears in this.

Double WOW! Mulgrew is suddenly an insurgent. That's like Bill Gates protesting outside a local mom and pop computer store for infringing on his rights. What happened when Unity tapped Iannuzzi? Can Mulgrew pin the blame on Randi? I ahve an idea -- start an insurgency in the AFT.

Comments are welcome. Irrelevant and abusive comments will be deleted, as will all commercial links. Comment moderation is on, so if your comment does not appear it is because I have not been at my computer (I do not do cell phone moderating).

UFT Election Vote Comparison: 2004-10

A Personal Historical Perspective

Why Karen Lewis Reads Ed Notes

"A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford

What media call "philanthropy" for the public schools are actually seed monies to establish a private "market" in publicly-financed education - an enterprise worth trillions if successfully penetrated by corporate America. Cory Booker, one of the "New Black Leaders" financed by the filthy rich, is key to creating a "nationwide corporate-managed schools network paid for by public funds but run by private managers.

"Ed Reformers" want to cash in on public education and to control its content and outcome, not improve it. Provide great education? Baby boomers had as close as this country has ever gotten to it when we were growing up. The Ed Reform Movement has no interest in seeing such a well-educated, democratically astute population ever again.

History of the UFT Pre-Weingarten Years

This award-winning series of articles by Jack Schierenbeck originally appeared in the New York Teacher in 1996 and 1997.

Naturally, from a certain point of view. But, despite certain biases, Schierenbeck, a great guy, was one of the best NY Teacher reporters so this is worth reading. Jack suffered a debilitating stroke many years ago (I used to get secret donations to ed notes from him through a 3rd source.)

“The schism in the union over radical politics [is] a major reason for stalling the growth of a teacher union for decades.” Revolutionary politics and ideology take center stage, as the original Teachers Union becomes a battlefield, pitting leftist against leftist and splitting the union.

Clarence Taylor's "Reds at the Blackboard" focused on the old Teachers Union which disbanded in 1964 after suffering from anti-left attacks.

Effective Union Organizing

A video series put together by Jason Mann from the British Columbia Federation of Teachers about social media and how to use it for effective union organizing.

The first series was called New Media For Union Activists Roadmap and it's still available on-line at:http://www.newmediabootcamp.ca/welcome/I watched some of them and need to rewatch as they are loaded with information.

The second series started last week and it's called "Online Campaigning for Union Activists"

You Don't Have A Choice - Join the Revolt

Hedges says, There are no excuses left. Either you join the revolt taking place on Wall Street and in the financial districts of other cities across the country or you stand on the wrong side of history.

Ex-Harlem Success Teacher Comments on Eva the Diva

I am a former Harlem Success teacher. Not many people who work/worked for her like her very much. I once made the comment that she is very nice when I first was hired. Two of her closest colleague responded immediately almost in unison, "Eve is not nice!" Over time I realized that there was a lot of political games going on. Another colleague once said to me that he was tired of "being part of a political campaign." Sending out 15,000 applications for only 400 seats in a school is reprehensible. The money that paid for those mass mailings could have paid the yearly salary of another teacher not to mention the heartache of all those parents who applied but did not get a spot. She does good work trying to give disadvantaged students a quality public school education but at a great cost to staff AND the school's educational budget! school budget.

GEM's Julie Cavanagh Debates E4E member on NY1 on LIFO and Seniority

Davis Guggenheim Compared to Riefenstahl

“Waiting for Superman" is the second most intellectually dishonest piece of documentary work I have seen. It is surpassed only by Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will," the pro-Hitler propaganda classic, in that regard. Uses personal narratives of adorable children to create narrative suspense that overrides public policy discussion with pure emotion in unscrupulous attack on teachers and their unions, among others

Timothy TysonProfessor of African American Studies and HistoryDuke University

A Familiar Voice on Unions

"We must close union offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers salaries and take away their right to strike"- Adolf Hitler, May 2, 1933

How Teaching Experience Makes a Difference

Even as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Rhee and others around the nation are arguing for experienced teachers to be laid off regardless of seniority, every single study shows teaching experience matters. In fact, the only two observable factors that have been found consistently to lead to higher student achievement are class size and teacher experience, so that it’s ironic that these same individuals are trying to undermine both.- Leonie Haimson on Parents Across America web site

Outsource our children

Weingarten/Gates Foundation announce drone-driven teacher evaluation

According to a press release issued by the Gates Foundation, the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, these three have entered a ground-breaking partnership to evaluate teachers utilizing the drone technology that has revolutionized warfare in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. A bird-size device floats up to 400 feet above a classroom and instantly beams live video of teachers in action to agents at desks at Teacher Quality Inspection Stations established by the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

When asked if the drones were authorized to drop bombs on teachers who exhibit inadequacy, Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, replied, "Don't be ridiculous. Gates money puts other methods at our disposal."

Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.5-million-member American Federation of Teachers said the powerful union has signed on to the drone project...

Teacher Value-Added Data Dumping by Norm Scott

The Real Reason Behind Push for Standardized Tests: It's All About the Adults

On standardized testing in our schools

A must read article about the standardized test industry.Written by an insider who has worked as a test scorer, the article outlines a multinational industry based on an army of temporary workers paid by the piece at $0.30 to $0.70 per test, translated in the need to grade 40 tests per hour to make a $12 salary. The article goes on to show how the companies gauge the grading "results" based on the need to ensure new contracts to continue profiting off of our youth. The original article is from Monthly Review. Here it is on Schools Matter blog.

From Sharon Higgins

Parallels between America today and Germany in the 1920's and early 30's

"Resentment and obstruction are all the right wing in America have to peddle. Their policies are utterly discredited. Their ideology - even by its own standards - is a sham. They are so bereft of leaders, their de facto leader is a former drug addicted, thrice-divorced radio talk show host. That is literally the best they can muster. But they have built a national franchise inciting the downwardly mobile to blame the government, not the right, for their problems, exactly as Hitler did in the 1920s."

Chicago View of Unity/UFT on Charters

After many meetings and debates, the Chicago delegation succeeded in working with the New York United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 (UFT) to push the AFT to take stronger stands on charter school accountability and school closings — though many delegates from Chicago would have liked the language to have been even stronger.

Generally speaking, the New York delegation represented organizing charters as the best model for handling their role in reshaping unions, despite the fact that according to many reports few charter schools in New York have been organized as is the case in Chicago. This logic is the same touted by the Progressive Caucus of the AFT. The few that have been organized are a part of the UFT local though they have separate contracts negotiated with the help of UFT. The Chicago delegation reflection the mindset that allowing new charters to continue to proliferate while attempting to organize existing charters is an end game in which public schools and the union lose.

Ed Notes Greatest Hits: HSA Rally and Founding of GEM

Angel Gonzalez and I attended that rally and used the footage to promote our conference on Mar. 28, 2009, which is where the concept of a group like GEM emerged. Until then we had basically been a committee of ICE working with the NYCORE high stakes testing group. The actions of Eva and crew helped spawn GEM. Mommie Dearest!!

I have more video somewhere. I was hoping to get Leni Riefenstahl to edit it but she died. We would have called it "Triumph of the Hedge Fund Operators."

Video of Chicago's George Schmidt and CORE Shredding Arne Duncan and the Chicago Corporate Model

Great Post on Teacher Quality at the Morton School

I'm very tired of the myth that schools are bursting at the seams with apathetic, unskilled, surly, child-hating losers who can't get jobs doing anything else. I recently figured that, counting high school and college where one encounters many teachers in the course of a year, I had well over 100 teachers in my lifetime, and I can only say that one or two truly had no place being in a classroom.